Temporary Traffic Management

Use of truck-mounted attenuators (TMAs) improves responder and road user safety around incident sites. The Guidelines for the Use of Truck-Mounted Attenuators in Incident Response are intended to provide direction for practitioners where positive protection at incident sites is required, aiming to improve and promote consistency across jurisdictions.

This document provides guidance on when and how TMAs and other attenuator vehicles should be used in incident response scenarios. The use of TMAs for incident response often requires departures from the established guidelines for TMA use, which are generally developed around planned operations (i.e. roadworks and maintenance activities). These issues are addressed alongside related considerations around broader temporary traffic management pertaining to incident response specifically.

Note: These Guidelines should be read alongside relevant standards and regulations.

Update on the Feedback

Austroads publications AP-G105‑23 Guidelines for the Design and Procurement of Incident Response Vehicles and AP‑G106‑23 Guidelines for the Use of Truck‑Mounted Attenuators in Incident Response were released as drafts for industry comment by the Austroads Network Task Force in December 2023.

Initial feedback emphasised that the main use of truck-mounted attenuators is for temporary traffic management at road worksites. In response to this feedback, the Austroads Board approved a follow‑on project, NEG6522 Guidance for the Use of Truck‑Mounted Attenuators During Temporary Traffic Management. This new guidance is currently in development by the Road Safety Task Force and is anticipated for publication in the first half of 2026.

Once the new temporary traffic management guidance is completed, Austroads will review its recommendations to determine whether AP-G105‑23 and AP‑G106‑23 should be finalised in their current form, revised, or superseded.

Webinar